{Date: 10/17 - Monday}
{Time: 1:30 PM}
Kioshi watched as the Siphoner loomed over Adrianna like a vampire on the hunt for a human, his stinger ready to pierce Adrianna at any moment. She grit her teeth, not knowing if she should act or leave us be to be taken out by the Siphoner.
"Kioshi...we can't just stay still..! You know the nature of the Siphoner..! He can't be sensed nor perceived unless his body contains siphoned energy..! There is no honor in winning like this," Yumi protested quietly, lowering her binoculars and glancing over at Kioshi with a worried expression.
"This isn't our call to make. The higher ups made their move, it's out of my hands. I can only do so much as a Captain," Kioshi said, remaining in place and closed her eyes.
The Siphoner pulled his tail back, launching it at Adrianna's back and going for the immediate kill. Sensing the attack, I pushed Adrianna out of the way, groaning lightly as the Siphoner's stinger pierced my stomach.
"Hisumi!" Orika screamed, hurrying toward me in a panicked state, holding my arm and held her hand to her mouth in shock.
I grunted heavily, feeling the stinger stealing my energy and draining my life force, gritting my teeth tightly to endure the pain of my energy getting siphoned. Summoning my katana through my lightning, I quickly sliced off the stinger of the Siphoner, causing him to screech in pain.
The Siphoner leaped backwards, getting down onto all fours, his stinger regenerating on the tip of his tail. He let out a monstrous chuckle, his sights set on absorbing more energy from my body.
"Hisumi, are you okay..? Did he hit you in a vital area?" Orika asked, her hands shaking as she tried to steady them to heal my wound with her icy energy.
I grunted softly as I watched Adrianna gently remove the stinger from my stomach, letting out a groan of relief once it was removed. "He...didn't hit an Energy Point. That's all I care about..."
Celene stared at the Siphoner, knowing something was extremely wrong with the scenario. Acting quickly, she fired an orb of light toward the forest, the orb shining brightly and exploding upon impacting against a tree. Celene heard screams coming from the bushes, inching toward them cautiously.
Yumi crawled out of the bushes, coughing heavily and standing onto her feet. She looked up, noticing Yusa's lance pointed at her face, her body immediately freezing up.
"Do you have anything to do with this beast..? Speak now, or let the sweet essence of Death know your name," Yusa threatened, her gaze becoming cold and distant.
Yumi's entire body began to crawl with goosebumps, unable to even sense Yusa's energy due to how powerful she was. "I-I..." She could barely mutter a word, her voice trembling with fear.
"Let her go, Headmaster," Kioshi said from behind Yusa, readying her battle-axe to defend Yumi.
Yusa recognized Kioshi's voice, slowly lowering her black lance and let out a cold chuckle. "I knew this was another one of Judgement's elaborate schemes... It's not surprising that my traitorous student is behind this, Kioshi Kazama..."
Kioshi watched as Yusa turned to face her, the years of training under Yusa flashing within her head. "Let her go...we have nothing to do with this. Yes, we were spying, but this Fell Beast is beyond our control."
"Don't believe a word they say! That beast hurt Hisumi!" Orika called out, holding me close in her arms with a protective embrace.
"Whether you believe me or not, it doesn't matter to me. That beast is not normal. You can't defeat it in a conventional way, it adapts to whatever energy it Siphons and can use that same energy against you," Kioshi said, turning around to look at the Siphoner.
"It has a core you need to destroy. You need to destroy it before it fully absorbs Hisumi's energy. By command, he is only targeting her. If you don't destroy him in time...the Valkyrias will lose," Kioshi finished, looking back at Yusa from over her shoulder.
Yusa turned her gaze toward the Siphoner, letting out a soft sigh and gripping her lance tighter. "I guess I have no choice but to take your word... however, after we defeat the Siphoner, you two are coming with us."
Kioshi scoffed softly, readying herself for battle, her flames slowly flickering around her axe. "Fine..."
The Siphoner stood before us, his eyes scanning each of us cautiously. His gaze seemed familiar, uncannily similar to my own. No one else seemed to notice except me, my skin beginning to crawl with goosebumps.
Without warning, the Siphoner began to rush toward me at high speeds, his body like a blur in the wind. Once he reached me, he thrusted his stinger toward me, aiming to pierce my chest. Yusa reacted quickly, creating a shield of Death Energy to block the attack.
"Kioshi, put him on the defense!" Yusa commanded, glancing at Kioshi with an authoritative gaze.
Kioshi scoffed at Yusa, her fiery energy slowly crackling around her. "Don't order me around!"
With a powerful stride, Kioshi dashed toward the Siphoner, swinging her axe at him with grand force, the blade of her axe slicing through the wind. The Siphoner blocked the attack, grunting heavily from the force of Kioshi's blow.
The Siphoner was sent flying across the peak of the mountain, but he quickly used his tail to save himself by latching onto the trunk of a tree. With a monstrous howl, he flung himself toward us, his body flickering in mid air and vanishing at near invisible speeds.
'What the...!? That's—'
Before Kioshi could finish her thought, the Sipboner struck her with a powerful kick to her face, sending her flying. Celene acted quickly, appearing behind Kioshi and catching her, grunting as she began to slid backwards.
Yusa looked over her shoulder, her eyes glowing with anger. She turned back toward the Siphoner, taking a step forward, her Death Energy flowing around her body like an eternal Goddess. "Enough with these games..."
"Wait, Mom!" I called out, gently getting out of Orika's hold. "You can't beat the Siphoner...he's already adapted to the concept of Death, but...that's not all."
Yusa paused in her step, looking back at me, her eyes softening with curiosity and concern. "What are you talking about?"
I turned to look at the Siphoner, my hands balling into fists. "The Siphoner is a failed clone of me. Failed Clones are turned into Fell Beasts for Pandora to use. One of eleven failed Clones..."
Yumi's eyes softened as she listened to my explanation, memories of Judgement's experiments flashing in her head. Kioshi grunted softly, closing her eyes and lowering her head with guilt, my haunting screams for help playing in her mind.
"The Siphoner...is an aspect of my Vow of Death. Whenever I kill someone, I Siphon their energy, turning them into a Hound and adapting to that very concept. That is the power of the Cerebral Fields, one of Ten Concepts of Passing Shadows," I continued, looking at my shoulder, my Vow of Death glowing due to the Siphoner's close proximity.
"If he Siphons my energy, they will use it...to perfect the twelfth clone. Resulting in the beginning of Project Alpha," I finished, looking ahead to face the Siphoner.
My reveal left everyone speechless, the silence hanging high within the whispering winds and the chatter of nature in the background. Orika held her hand over her mouth, the shock of the truth overwhelming her heart. Adrianna's gaze became a mix of disbelief and sorrow, her eyes shifting between the Siphoner and me.
The truth hit Yusa the hardest, her anger, guilt, and deep sorrow striking her all at once, causing her Spirit Energy to become slightly more volatile. "Hisumi..."
The Siphoner grunted softly feeling the shift in Yusa's energy, his gaze shifting toward Yusa. He noticed her Valkyrie slowly manifesting behind her, his heart seemingly racing from fear.
"Judgement...has tarnished your name, ruined your essence, and went so far...as to clone you? This...this is what has been happening for the last ten years..?" Yusa asked, her eyes becoming cold and apathetic, like a reaper collecting their next soul.
Yusa turned to face the Siphoner, her Death Energy surrounding her body in calm, elegant waves, yet her aura began decaying everything around her and death lilies began to bloom around her. "The sweet essence of Death shall know your name. By the grace of Nox, I will kill you here and now, Siphoner.."
The Siphoner smirked at Yusa, chuckling lowly and took his stance, his tail ready to strike at any moment. In an instant, he launched his tail at Yusa, but his tail phased through her like a ghost.
Yusa's afterimage vanished, her physical body appearing next to the Siphoner out of thin air, her fist ripping through the air, distortion the space around her hand. Her strike landed true, a Perfect Spirit Flash, the space around her rippling upon impact.
The attack sent the Siphoner crashing through the forest, his body flying through the trees like a speeding bullet. Soon, he slammed into a large boulder, the heavy impact creating a massive dust cloud within the trails, alarming a few hikers along on the safer path.
{Yusa's Attributes}
Name: Yusa Yukota
Age: 42
Rank: S+
Power Level: 100,000
Valk Type: Attack/Support
Elemental Affinity: Life/Death/Space/Light/Dark
Preferred Weapon: Lance/Katana/Godslayer
DMG: 100,000
Burst DMG: 100,000
Survivability: 100,000
Support: 100,000
Spirit Control: 100,000
I was left speechless by the raw might of my mother's true power as I witnessed what a True Valkyria looked like. My Vow of Death began glowing brighter, it's usual dark purple glow shifting into a light violet hue due to Yusa's close proximity to me.
"There's no need to worry about your past anymore, Hisumi...Let me bear the weight of your troubles. Let me truly be your mother, and give me all of your pain," Yusa said calmly, her tears flowing down her cheek, yet her gaze remained focused on the Siphoner, awaiting his return.
"Mom..." I said, my eyes watering with unshed tears. I closed my eyes, my breath becoming slightly shaky. "Okay...but be warned, if the Siphoner dies, any energy within his body is destroyed with him."
Yusa nodded, shifting her Lance into her black bladed katana, the blade emitting Pure Death Energy. "I'll be sure to recover your energy...and I'll destroy him along the way.."
I nodded and returned to Orika to continue resting, my body still not fully recovered due to missing a portion of my essence. Orika held me in her protective embrace again, her eyes focused on Yusa as she's seen this side of her only once before.
Celene gently let go of Kioshi, making her way toward Yusa, taking off her tribal robe, revealing her tribal tattoos and tribal gi beneath her robes. "Adrianna, Hisumi, Orika...watch closely. Let this be a learning lesson for the future. Your past doesn't define you, your present and future do."
Adrianna watched as Celene prepared herself for combat, her eyes shining with hope and determination. Her moment of hope didn't last long as a horde of Fallen Valks began surrounding us, followed with a chilling, villainous laugh.
"Well, well, well! The gang's all here! I have to thank you Kioshi and Yumi, you two play your roles so well!" A familiar voice called out from above us, the sound of her tone similar to squawking parrots.
Yusa didn't hesitate, manipulating the space around her just with a simple thought, causing a rippling pull to tear Pandora out of the sky. As Pandora slammed to the ground, she used her Dark Energy to form a large spike above Pandora, sending it crashing down upon her without a second thought.
Pandora quickly reacted, summoning her Black Box and manipulating its shape to form into a shield, blocking the spike. She grunted as Yusa's spike began pushing her into the ground more, her Box's endurance slowly wearing thin. "Siphoner!"
A monstrous howl echoed around the forest, the Siphoner rushing through the forest at near invisible speeds, appearing in front of Yusa with his tail ready to strike. Yusa's expression remained calm, her body not moving an inch even in the face of immediate danger.
The space around Yusa began to distort, ripples within the air shifting the perspectives of everyone around, Yusa seamlessly swapping places with a Fallen Valk. The Siphoner struck the Fallen Valk in her neck, causing her to let out a piercing cry of pain as her energy was being sapped away.
Yusa grit her teeth as she watched the Siphoner absorb one of her lost comrades, her eyes gleaming with recognition of the ex-Valkyria. Though her heart weighed heavy for her fallen ally, she knew deep down, they were now nothing more than hollow husks of their former selves, zombies and pawns of Judgement.
Pandora managed to slip from under the spike, floating up to her feet and chuckled darkly. "Oh, Yusa...You must be so happy to have your worthless child back. But...I hate to inform you, well not really...We are taking the brat back with us..."
Pandora laughed softly, enjoying the look of anger on Yusa's face. "Look at you...the Angel of Death, for once in a long time actually angry. Since I have you like this, let me piss you off more with some truth."
Kioshi couldn't help but to watch in genuine disbelief that Pandora was angering a literal Goddess to the point of wrath. 'What is this dumb bitch doing?!'
"Speak now... because I promise...it will be the last time you ever speak..." Yusa muttered, her blood boiling beyond her breaking point, her Spirit Energy slowly darkening.
"Your...husband. What was his name again? Seihachi, one of the last members of his Family...the one who cheated on you with our Commander, Lady Hazuki? We manipulated him into taking Hisumi away," Pandora said, her eyes shimmering with zero remorse.
"You birthed the perfect child...the child who inherited both the Shadow Gardens, the Yukota Techniques, and the unrivalled, unparalleled amounts of Spirit Energy. We were going to use her to make Hazuki a ruler, but plans changed as Hisumi grew," She continued, walking toward the Siphoner and placed her hand upon his chest in a suggestive manner.
Pandora looked up at the Siphoner with affection, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "I made the proposal to create the most perfect Fell Beast in existence...a Beast only I could control in return...I offer all of Hisumi's Spirit Energy to the Commander."
Yumi's eyes widened with a mix of disbelief and disgust. "So it was you who masterminded all of this?! Just for some Beast?!"
"You are one sick bitch! Hisumi was a literal child!" Kioshi yelled, her stomach curling against itself, causing her to hurl over with guilt and disgust.
Pandora chuckled softly at Yumi and Kioshi, stepping away from the Siphoner. "It's too late for the outrage. You sold your souls the moment you pledged alliance with Judgment!~ You can't get out now..~ And when we're done here, I'll be sure to punish you both..~"
The air was thick with tension, even the slightest wave could slice through it. I could hardly breathe, my heart racing faster as the truth of my father was revealed by a true monster. My entire world shattered at once, my emotions completely out of wack.
I slipped out of Orika's arms, gripping my chest, my breathing becoming faster as I gasped for air. I didn't know what was happening to me, everything going dark in an instant.
"Hisumi!" Orika yelled, hurrying to my aid, her voice drowning out slowly.
Pandora watched as I began hyperventilating, chuckling coldly then closed her eyes, letting out a soft exhale. "You know...it hurt me when we had to kill him, but it's alright, we are repurposing him as something greater and you can join him too...as Omega."
Her words reached my ears like a knife piercing my heart, causing my emotions to spiral more out of control. Orika tried everything she could to help me, but nothing seemed to work. She turned to look at Cerebral, her fingers gently running through my hair.
Cerebral stared at Pandora with cold hatred, her heart surging with betrayal and a Grim Wrath. She walked toward me, shifting into her human form and kneeled beside me. "Switch with me..."
I felt Cerebral's hand on my back, my tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. I gripped my arms, my heart beating faster and faster, my Vow of Death flashing quickly with anger, shining a luminous red glow. With all my might, I let out a piercing scream, pouring my heart into my scream.
My Death Energy swarmed around my body wildly, pushing Orika and Adrianna away from me with great force. I continued to scream and wail, pounding my fists against the ground, every memory from birth until the moment I was taken away shattering.
"Pandora!!" I howled, my body vanishing into black fog and reappearing in front of her with a wild punch.
Pandora smirked, using her Black Box to block my attack, but she sensed something was deathly off about my attack. She saw the pure rage in my eyes, my energy pulsing around her Black Box, a blast of Death Energy pushing her away.
The Siphoner grunted as the blast's radius knocked him away as well, causing him to skid backwards. He looked up at me, noticing black lightning to crackle around my body, Raikiri slowly manifesting behind me with black and yellow lightning around her body.
Pandora stood up straight, noticing pieces of her Black Box chipping off the corners, her eyes widening slightly in awe. 'She managed to decay my box..~ Such power..~'
I let out a wild howl, my Death Energy surging wildly around my body as I began to power up. I formed the hand seal "Tiger", offering a portion of my Death Energy to summon the Black Tiger at my side. "I will make you pay for ruining my life!"
At this very moment, I wasn't myself at all...I had truly allowed myself to become the Black Cerebral, the once tormentor of my life now becoming my very guardian. Yusa and Celene stood at my side, the three of us faced off against Pandora, the Siphoner, and the army of Fallen Valks.
{Objective: Defeat Pandora and Kill the Siphoner.}